Infinite Chant of the Soul Indivisible
The Infinite Chant of the Soul Indivisible is a relatively recent sect of the Church of Humanity Repentant centered around the teachings being developed, taught, and preached by Father Hierodoctor Daam. Currently, it is in the process of a revival and renewal as Daam has been revising and expanding his doctrine of the Soul Indivisible, that gave him fame and fortune before his 'disappearance' in the early 3190s, by reinterpreting it through the Mandala of the Soul. An ancient religious artifact, supposedly originating from Earth, that Daam claims to have recovered during his long absence. The core message of the Infinite Chant is that all souls are in fact one single World Soul, which is also the Divine, that animates not just life but all matter and the laws of nature themselves. Its division into separate souls, or the ensouled and soulless, is a delusion and blasphemy of sentient beings against the cosmos and against themselves. The Infinite Chant is not an exclusive sect, members are free to become or remain members of other sects alongside their Infinite Chant membership, if they so wish. Organisation History The Infinite Chant of the Soul Indivisible was founded by Father Hierodoctor Daam shortly after his turn to the faith, in 3173. It quickly rose to prominence, in part by absorbing smaller sects and individuals who had espoused similar ideas before, and found in Daam a charismatic figurehead to really around. After this initial period of success and steady growth, the sect was left in disarray when Daam mysteriously disappeared in the early 3190s. However, it experienced a revival soon after Daam's return to Cabina with the Mandala of the Soul in the year 3199. Initially its earliest followers were made up of people who had followed or respected Daam's teachings from before his disappearance. But as the months passed and word spread more and more people wished to join the Infinite Chant. This was aided by Daam's participation in the 107th Church debate, broadcast sector-wide, and subsequent debate. In addition, the meditations organised during the Cabina festival brought even more fame and followers. While still a very new sect, it now has branches on a dozen worlds across the sector (primarily in major population centers). Daam has been travelling extensively to see these new communities, to welcome, guide, and learn from them. Temples The three most important activities in the Infinite Chant of the Soul Indivisible are shared meditation, solitary meditation, and works of healing (not necessarily in that order). In principle, any space used by members of the Infinite Chant for shared meditation is considered a temple. Those communities with a bit more means to buy and furnish a permanent temple space have taken to following the design Daam adopted for the main temple on Cabina. This is a building shaped roughly like a keyhole. The majority is a large open space where a teacher can lead over a hundred students in meditation. Surrounding the head of this space is a hall, separate but not disconnected from the main chamber, where members may practice solitary meditation at times when there is no shared meditation.The remainder of the building is used for more practical purposes such as places for meetings and consultations, storage of mats and robes, cloakrooms, and so on. Hierarchy Hierarchy in the Infinite Chant of the Soul Indivisible follows two patterns, that of parent-sibling and that of teacher-student. Parents and Siblings Parents, whether mothers, fathers, or just parents, are mostly permanent positions. They are those in whom a specific community has placed the trust of leadership. Their responsibilities are the day-to-day management of the needs of the community, such as scheduling, maintenance of the temple, welcoming new members, and so on. When parents pass these responsibilities on to another, they retain the title, out of respect and gratitude for their efforts for the sake of the community. While the proper address to a parent is their respective title, parents address other members as 'siblings' to emphasize that even in their leading position they are still fundamentally equal to all members of the community. Teachers and Students Teacher is a temporary position, and all members of the Infinite Chant may at times find themselves a teacher. The most common use is that whomever is chosen to lead a shared meditation becomes for the duration a teacher, and all others become students. But in general, whenever a member makes a particularly insightful remark, even in casual conversation, others may respond by calling them teacher as a sign of respect and appreciation for their contribution. The attitude promoted in the Infinite Chant is that all are teachers, and all are students, that all members may teach to and learn from all other members. Doctrines and Practices The Soul Indivisible and the Infinite Chant The core message of the Infinite Chant is that all souls are in fact one single World Soul, which is also the Divine, that animates not just life but all matter and the laws of nature themselves. Its division into separate souls, or the ensouled and soulless, is a delusion and blasphemy of sentient beings against the cosmos and against themselves. This means, practically, that the Chant considers everything, down to the void of space itself, to be inherently ensouled and connected to everything else via that soul. The Divine is understood as a term for the World Soul as a whole, as the singular entity it truly is, in all its inseparability and in all its, to human minds, incomprehensibility. The 'Infinite Chant,' as in the actual term itself, is generally understood as a term for the endless process in which the Divine World Soul, the cosmos itself, calls sentient beings to virtue, and sentient beings' continuous, but often failing, response to that call. Repentance is first and foremost Repentance for the blasphemy of division, by which sentient beings divide themselves from each other and from the cosmos through illusionary distinctions between Selfs and Others. The act of thinking this division into existence alone is to cut a wound in the body of the Divine, to act upon this delusion of division through the targeted harm or destruction of supposed others is to rend the Divine, and thus oneself, into pieces. All harm is self-harm, in Chant doctrine, and thus to be Repented. The Chant is not highly concerned with the After, and there is currently no consensus on if all life ends in the After, or that only those who transcend above the cycle of reincarnation reach the After. But, generally, the After itself is understood as a reunion with the Divine World Soul. There is judgement in the After, but it is not the judgement of an outside force, it is the judgement of the person themselves, having become one with the Cosmos of the Divine World Soul and now understanding the full context of their life's choices, judging themselves accordingly. The Mandala of the Soul Vaguely described in ancient texts, it supposedly was one of the 99 most holy artifacts brought from Earth by the original colonists. Recently a copy of the mandala has been recovered by Father Hierodoctor Daam. If his version is as genuine as he claims, none can know at this point, but it is certainly impressive. The Mandala of the Soul, as supposedly recovered by Daam, is a 3D projection, created by a mysterious and small artifact, an icosahedron about the size of a human hand. The projection is ever-changing, in ways both obvious and subtle, but the core structure, at least to the untrained perception, is that of a procession of 1,024 saints through the four elements, the seven crucial virtues, the eight sins and the eight blasphemies. Each of the twenty-seven spheres has at its center a god, while surrounding it are the domains of the innumerable muses of the 999,999,999 teachings of enlightenment. The latter are ever shifting, and some say even reflect the unspoken thoughts of the viewer. Meditation on the mandala is said to be able to bring anyone to a greater consciousness, most importantly, in Daam’s teachings, the awareness of the Soul Indivisible. The Mandala Meditation The practice of meditating on the mandala involves imagining a mental path through some or all of the twenty seven spheres. In each sphere, the practitioner encounters its god. First, the practitioner imagines themselves standing in awe in front of the god. Then, the practitioner imagines themselves becoming the god. Finally, the practitioner imagines themselves triumphant over the god, and ready to continue their path. Key decisions in laying out this mental pilgrimage, this mental Vigil, is from which direction to first approach the mandala, which spheres to visit, and which order to visit the spheres in. All these decisions have implications for the nuances of the mental path traveled, and thus for the potential revelations and awakenings the journey may invoke. Psychic Meditation Device In addition to more 'normal' meditations, the Infinite Chant is in possession of another strange device, possibly of Alien but almost certainly of Psitech origin. This second device is larger, about three feet or one meter tall. It is vaguely pyramid-shaped, with various geometrical shapes protruding on its sides and strange hieroglyphs covering it from base to tip. From the front of the device protrudes a small receptacle that accepts DNA samples. When combined with the smaller device that projects the mandala, the two devices are able to bring anyone into a psychic meditation. A journey through a mindscape version of the Mandala, making its esoteric worlds and landscapes seem as real as any world in the sector. On rare occasions, the Infinite Chant opens attendance to these psychic meditations up for lay visitors. In the hopes that those who follow the journey through the mandala will find an experience that changes them for the better. The Twenty-Seven Gods The twenty seven gods of the mandala are as follows: Four Elements Earth – High-god Gaia The high-god Gaia is understood as the goddess of both the element and the planet Earth, our original home. She is the womb and the cradle, the life-giver. Water – High-god Neptune The high-god Neptune is understood as the god of water in all its forms, from the oceans to the raindrops. He is the seed and the milk, the egg and the nest, the life-keeper. Fire – High-god Apollo The high-god Apollo is understood as the goddess of fire and heat, from a single candle to the stars themselves. She is destruction, but also fertilization, both the highs and the lows of fortune that mark any life's trajectory, the life-bearer. Wind – High-god Zeus The high-god Zeus is understood as the god of wind, the heavens, and the soul itself. He is the re-union of the separate, the end that completes the circle, and the circle itself, the life-filler. Seven Crucial Virtues Honesty – Saint-god Chiron The saint-god Chiron is remembered as a saint of honesty. Chiron was a great teacher, who would teach all who came to him. He did not ask for any compensation, but he refused to ever tell any of his students a lie. He was killed one day when he taught a student a lesson they could not bear to hear. Loyalty – Saint-god Orpheus The saint-god Orpheus is remembered as a saint of loyalty. He had psychic powers so great, he could even revive the dead. He was killed through betrayal, because he could not abandon anyone whom he loved, even when they no longer loved him. Discipline – Saint-god Jason The saint-god Jason is remembered as a saint of discipline. He was a ship captain, who led his ship and crew through many dangers over a journey that took many years. He is also a patron-saint of leaders, as his crew was made up out of dozens of saints themselves. Jason died when his ship suffered a reactor core malfunction, and he stayed behind to steer it away as his crew escaped to a safe distance in the escape pods. Repentance – Saint-god Hercules The saint-god Hercules is remembered as the saint of repentance. He committed a great sin and blasphemy, and to repent spent twelve years laboring in servitude. He died sacrificing himself for his love, saint Meg. Courage – Saint-god Theseus The saint-god Theseus is remembered as the saint of courage. His colony lay on a planet orbited by a station within which roamed a great beast. The people of the station demanded yearly sacrifices to appease the beast, and protect themselves from its wrath, or else they would bombard the planet below. Those chosen to be sacrificed were put in a labyrinth, and broadcast live across the planet as the beast hunted them down and devoured them one by one. Theseus volunteered as tribute, entered the labyrinth, and slew the beast. He died after staying behind on the station to activate its self-destruct sequence. Charity – Saint-god Penelope The saint-god Penelope is remembered as a saint of charity. She would always welcome into her house anyone who came, and never turn anyone away. As the uninvited guests grew, her wealth and house shrank, till at last the only thing she had to give was her own flesh and bones, these she donated to science. Respect – Saint-god Perseus The saint-god Perseus is remembered as a saint of respect. He never looked at anyone directly, out of fear they'd consider his gaze desirous and disrespectful. He fell in love when a woman tricked him into looking at her directly, by removing the mirror between the men's and women's bathrooms in his palace, and standing on the opposite side as he came to wash his face. He died after being challenged to a duel in a maze of mirrors. Eight Sins Dishonesty – Monster-god Hydra The Monster-God Hydra is remembered as the apotheosis of dishonesty. Hydra was a compulsive liar and an oath breaking soldier, often walking amongst his enemies as friend and his friends as nobody; He was famed for his courage, using the poison of his words and their many faces to their own ends. They died ablaze, smothered by tumbling pitch-soaked corpses at the bottom of a corpse pit after feigning death when caught looting the bodies after a battle. Envy – Monster-god Medusa The Monster-God Medusa is remembered as the epitome of Envy. She was a dread pirate, her very presence freezing people in place as she took whatever pleased her. After surviving a gravtank shell, she was left painfully farsighted and numbed to tactile sense. Her former pleasures tantalised her from afar but were as ash in her hands. She died of exhaustion, ever heading for a place to rest but never content where she was. Lust – Monster-god Briareos Sloth – Monster-god Seiren Wrath – Monster-god Minotauros Gluttony – Monster-god Cyclops Pride – Monster-god Leon Greed – Monster-god Drakon Eight Blasphemies Treason – Demon-god Menoetius Defamation – Demon-god Melinoe Abuse – Demon-god Japetus Ingratitude – Demon-god Cronus Murder – Demon-god Epimetheus Division – Demon-god Atlas Theft – Demon-god Prometheus Violation – Demon-god Uranus The Vigil of the Elements This is the simplest path through the mandala, and one Daam often recommends as the first path for new students of the mandala to travel: “As humanity began on Earth, so the Mandala of the Soul Indivisible begins in Earth and the blessed high-god Gaia. She is the womb, and the cradle. Not just ours, but the womb and cradle of all sentient beings. From her all proceeds. And likewise, we begin our path in believing that the soul is born from the body. As we progress, through the floods of the high-god Neptune, and the fires of the high-god Apollo, we see our earth washed and melted, and we see our soul still remaining, and we understand that the soul does not proceed from the body, but that the soul animates the bodies. When we at last reach the winds of the high-god Zeus, we open the gate of flight. There we see that what we thought was Earth divided, was in fact Heaven Indivisible. Wind has no end, nor beginning. To think the storm as separate from the breeze is a thought born from rocks whom are moved by some winds but not others. To the wind, it moves everywhere, all the time, what changes is but its concentration and force. So all souls are one, and move not merely sentient beings, but all being. What separates us from our siblings is our imagination of Earth divided. And as we imagine, so we split our own soul asunder in hatred and strife, and hurt ourselves. The enlightened mind, born by wings of wind, sees all as one. It teaches us the first truth, that of the Soul Indivisible, and from this truth we step back down towards the world, and into the sphere of repentance. This is the first vigil, the path of the elements to the summit of heaven. The lesson it teaches us is the first and the last, and will guide us on all our future travels.” Sub-branches and Local Communities The Infinite Chant within House Triangulum The branch of the Infinite Chant of the Soul Indivisible on Habitat One, homeworld of House Triangulum, developed a unique perspective on the beliefs of the Chant. Originally started by five Physicist families, the Infinite Chant is now cultivated amongst nobles and commoners alike. Triangulum rarely personify the divine, and Triangulum Chant members are generally less drawn to the esoteric metaphors of the Mandala, than to the broader concept of the World Soul. It is a well known fact for anyone delving deep into sciences, that studying any subject makes you feel that there's just so much more to the world then what you already know. The more you know about a particular science, the closer you are to certain type of divinity. Triangulum’s methodical approach to all the mysteries of the Universe results in a pragmatic, yet surprisingly strong understanding of the Divine Will among the citizens of Habitat One. Those who accept the Chant’s teachings on the World Soul share a firm belief that natural law is the divine law itself, and that the universe itself is scripture that one needs to read to get ever closer to the ultimate truth that speaks to us constantly in the never-ending movement of the universe. For these Triangulum, science becomes worship as they draw strength, motivation, and zeal from this belief. Since gravity manipulation is common on the entire station, it is customary for Triangulum temples of the Chant to have zero-g meditation halls, with the largest one, a giant sphere owned by a Physicist Triangulum, located in the public section 37A. In addition to Imperial, Pamitan, a native language of Lovelace, is commonly spoken during meditation. Chant meditations on Habitat One can be as much science lectures as meditation. Generally, they tend to follow the same structure: * First, the meditation begins with that session’s teacher choosing an elementary problem related to their field of expertise. * Second, the teacher recites how this problem was historically understood in their discipline, and how the solution was found (or believed to have been found). * Third, the teacher recites how they themselves learned of that problem, and came to understand it and its solution. * Fourth, the students repeat back to the teacher the teacher's story of learning to understand the problem and its solution. As they do so, the students are expected to imagine themselves in the position of the teacher, vicariously experiencing that session’s teacher’s experience of learning and understanding. * Fifth, the cycle is repeated from step one. However, for the next cycle, the teacher will choose a different, more difficult problem. Thus the meditation session will continue with ever more complicated problems. For the final cycle, the teacher chooses a problem in their field that is as of yet unsolved. After having gone through the three steps, the teacher and the students remain in meditation for a while, thinking about the problem and its as of yet undiscovered solution. After however long the teacher and students feel is appropriate, the meditation ends, and like all Chant meditations the students and teachers gather for some tea while discussing or reflecting on the experience. Chant members of other branches participating in a Habitat One meditation session are often surprised at these customs, but the Chant as a whole encourages these kinds of bewildering experiences as excellent learning and teaching moments for all involved. Notable Members * Father Hierodoctor Daam * Adherent Eli Crane * Honorary Initiate Political Scientist Δ Indri Ana * Honorary Initiate Lord Terrestrial Engineer ◬ Hohengrad Lux * Honorary Teacher Sheikhsul Vela Eratesh * (NPC) Teacher Fuyo Warner * (NPC) Teacher Hrafn Lykosson * (NPC) Teacher Shuichi Sato Category:CHR Sects or Religious Orders Category:The Church of Humanity, Repentant Category:House Triangulum Category:Repentant Sects or Religious Orders